Skate wheel grinding machine



Nov. 14, 1961 J. T. STRICKLAND, JR 3,008,275

SKATE WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE 4 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 Filed 001:. 26. 1959 m m n m 0 n N A L 5 F m T I. mfim 6 a B RU. I. 6 7 8 a H 7 l 9 6 a 2. x w A f 66 ET 2 H H e w a Nov. 14, 1961 J. T. STRICKLAND, JR 3,008,275

SKATE WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Nov. 14, 1961 J. T. STRICKLAND, JR 3,008,275

SKATE WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Nov. 14, 1961 J. T. STRICKLAND, JR

SKATE WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 26. 1959 Wm as INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,093,275 SKATE WHEEL GRlNlIti'NG MACHBNE John T. Strickland, In, 1159 Magnolia Ave, Daytona Beach, Fla. Filed 0st, 26, 1959, er. No. 843,860 9 (Ilaims. (Cl. 51-4129) This invention relates to a novel machine which is capable of simultaneously grinding the eight wheels of a pair of roller skates without the skates being removed from the feet.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine which may be utilized in roller skating rinks, and which may be coin operated, to enable skaters to quickly and uniformly grind the wheels of both skates to remove all foreign matter therefrom as well as all high spots, and so that all of the skate wheels will be ground uniformly to a round smooth condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine, wherein the weight of the skater is utilized for maintaining the skates in fixed positions on the machine during the grinding operation and with the skate wheels free to be revolved by contact with rotary driven grinding wheels which rotate about axes disposed at a right angle to the axes of rotation of the skate wheels, whereby the grinding wheels, while revolving the skate wheels, have a movement relative thereto to effect the grinding of the skate wheels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ma chine having novel means for extracting dust and other materials removed from the skate wheels by the grinding operation.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a machine having means whereby the user may readily control the pressure of the contact of the grinding wheels with the skate wheels, during operation of the machine.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view partly broken away and partly in vertical section of the machine;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view, partly broken away and partly in vertical section thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4- of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a part of the machine, taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit of the machine;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken radially through one of the grinding wheels and showing a portion of a skate with one of the wheels thereof engaging the grinding wheel, and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sec tional view of a part of the structure as shown in FIG- URE 5.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the skate wheel grinding machine in its entirety is designated generally 1t) and includes a housing or casing, designated generally 11. The housing or casing 11 is composed of an elongated bottom portion 12 and an upright rear portion 13 which extends upwardly from the rear part of the bottom portion 12,. Accordingly, the casing 11 is substantially L-shaped in side elevation, as seen in FIG- URE 2, and provides a hollow L-shaped chamber or interior 14. The bottom portion 12 is provided with a Bfifidi'fi Patented Nov. 14, 1961 top wall 15 forming a platform or deck and which extends from the front wall 16 thereof to the bottom edge of the front wall 17 of the upright rear housing portion 13.

As best illustrated in FIGURE 1, the deck 15 is provided with two elongated openings 18 and 19, the longitudinal axes of which are disposed substantially parallel to the opposite side walls 20 of the casing 11, and the ends of which are spaced from the front walls 16 and 17. Said openings 13 and 19 are laterally spaced relative to one another and are each provided with a bar 21 which extends transversely thereacross. The bars 21 are spaced from the ends of the openings 18 and 19 and are secured in any conventional manner at their ends to the platform or deck 15. A pair of rails is associated with each opening 18 and 19. Said rails extend longitudinally of the openings and have rear ends secured to the deck 15, at the end of the opening located adjacent the wall 16 and opposite forward ends which are secured to the underside of the deck adjacent the other end of said opening. Each of the rails, of each opening 18 and 19, is secured intermediate of its ends to the crossbar 21 of said opening. The rails of each opening are disposed in trans versely spaced relation to one another and include corresponding rear portions 22, extending between the bar 21 and the end of the opening thereof, disposed adjacent the front wall 16, and corresponding front portions 23, which extend from the bar 21 toward the front wall 17. The upper edges of the rear rail portions 22 are provided with corresponding transversely aligned upwardly opening notches 24', as best illustrated in FIGURE 8.

A support, designated generally 25, is mounted within the housing or cabinet 11 and includes a substantially horizontal bottom portion 26 which is disposed within the bottom portion 12 of the cabinet, and an upright end portion or wall 27, which extends upwardly from the rear end of the bottom portion 26 into the part of the cabinet interior or chamber 14 formed by the upright rear portion 13, as best seen in FIGURE 2. The sup port 25 is of rigid construction and the parts 26 and 27 thereof may be integrally joined or rigidly connected. The-bottom 2d of the cabinet has posts 29 extending upwardly therefrom. Each post 29 includes an enlarged base 30 which is secured to the upper side of the bottom 28. A sleeve 31 rests upon and extends upwardly from each base 3t) and is disposed around and spaced from the post 29. A bushing 32 fits between each post 29 and its surrounding sleeve 31. Each bushing 32, as best seen in FIGURE 9, is provided with sockets 33 containing antifriction bearings 34 which protrude from said sockets. The upper end of the sleeve 31 extends through an opening 35 of the horizontal support part 26 and is secured in a downwardly opening socket member 36, which is secured to the upper side of the member 26, so that the sleeves 31 move with the support 25 and relative to the posts 29 and the anti-friction bushings 32,. Said parts prevent any lateral movement of the support 25 relative to the cabinet 11. A flexible boot 37 is connected at its upper end to the underside of the support member 26 and at its lower end to the base 31 around each sleeve 31, to exclude dust from said sleeve and the parts disposed therein.

The support portion 26 is provided with -a pair of transversely spaced bearings 38 in Which are journaled shafts 39. Belt pulleys at are fixed to the lower ends of the shafts 3% between the support part 26 and the cabinet bottom 28. Grinding wheels 41 and 42 are fixed to the upper ends of said shafts 39 for rotation therewith, and are disposed between the support element 26 and the deck 15. The grinding wheel 41 is disposed beneath the opening 18, as seen in FIGURE 4, and the shaft 39 thereof is disposed substantially centrally beneath the crossbar 2,1 of said opening. The grinding wheel 42 s,oos,275

is similarly disposed beneath the other opening 19. The fiat horizontally disposed top surfaces of the grinding 7 wheels 41 and 42 constitute the working faces thereof, as

will hereinafter become apparent. A powder source, preferably an electric motor 43, is secured by fastenings 44 I to the Wall 27 of the support 25, and the rotary driven shaft 45 thereof is vertically disposed. A belt pulley 46 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 45, below the level of the support part 26, as seen in FIGURE 2, and an endless belt 47 is trained around the belt pulleys 4t? and 46, as best seen in FIGURE 5.

A large pan-like suction nozzle 48 is mounted on the suport part 26 and the grinding wheels 41 and 42 are disposed in said suction nozzle 48, as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The top wall 49 of the nozzle 48 has an elongated opening 56, including connected substantially circular end portions, through which the upper surfaces of the grinding Wheels 41 and 42 are exposed, as best seen in FIGURE 4. The suction nozzle 48 has a rearwardlv extending outlet nipple 51 to which is attached one end of a hose 52. The hose 52 extends upwardly into the upper portion of the cabinet chamber 14, past one side edge of the support part 27, as seen in FIG- URES 2 and 4, and has its opposite end connected to the inlet of a conventional blower '53, preferably of the centrifugal type. The blower'53 is driven by a second electric motor 54- which is disposed thereabove. The motor 54 and blower 53 are supported by a bracket 55, which may be attached to the rear wall 56 of the cabinet 11, and which is disposed adjacent the upper end of the upright cabinet portion 13. The open neck of a porous bag 57 is detachably clamped around the outlet 58 of the blower 53, and is supported thereby within the cabinet portion 13, as seen in FIGURE 3.

The machine it] is provided Wtih a pair of handrails 59 having lower ends secured to the outer side of the front wall 16, adjacent the sides 28. The handrails 59 extend upwardly and have forwardly turned upper ends the terminals of which are secured to the upper portion of the front wall 17, near the side edges thereof, as best seen in FIGURE 1. V I

An air compressor or pump 66 is fastened to the upper portion of the support wall 27. Pulleys 61, as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, are fixed to the upper end of the motor shaft 45 and the shaft 62 of the compressor 6% and are connected by an endless belt 63, so that the com pressor 60, as well as the grinding wheels 41 and 4-2, are driven by the motor 43. i

A valve 64 is mounted on the forward side of the support Wall 27. The valve 64, as best seen in FIGURE 6, includes a casing 65 having a passage 66. A conduit 67 from the compressor 60 discharges into one end of the passage 66 and a conduit 68, which exhausts to the atmosphere, extends from the other end of said passage. The intermediate portion of the passage 66 is provided with a valve seat 69 to receive a tapered end of a valve element 70 which is reciprocably mounted in a stuffing box 71 of the casing 65. A link 72 has one end pivotally connected to an opposite end of the valve element 76, which is disposed externally of the casing 65, and an opposite end pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of a lever 73. 'One end of the lever 73 is pivotally supported by a post 74 which is attached to and projects from a part of the casing 65. One end of anonelastic flexible element 75 is secured to the other free end of the lever 73- and extends therefrom slidably through an angle bracket 76 and thereafter around two guide pulleys 77 and 78, by which the direction of the flexible element 75 is reversed. The pulley 77 is supported on a second angle bracket 79, attached to the valve casing 65, and the pulley 78 is supported by the bracket 76. The portion of the flexible element 75 extending upwardly from the bracket 76 is slidably disposed in a flexible tubularelement 80 one endof which is secured to and supported by a bracket 81, which is mounted on the bracket 76, and the other end of which projects outwardly through the front wall 17, beneath one of the hand rails 5). A hand lever 82 is pivotally connected at 33 to said handrail 59, beyond and adjacent said last mentioned end of the tubular sheath $0, and is swingably suspended beneath the handrail. The other end of the flexible element 75 projects from said last mentioned end of the tubular sheath 8% and is secured by a fastening 84 to the lever 32, beneath and spaced from its pivot 83. Thus, when lever 32 is gripped with the handrail 59, on which it is supported, a pull is exerted by lever on the flexible element 75 fcrswinging the lever 73 toward the valve casing 65 to displace the valve element 73 inwardly of the valve casing and toward the valve seat 69. A compression spring 85 is disposed between the free end of the lever 73 and a part of the bracket 76, and loosely around a part of the flex ible element 75,

from the valve casing 65 to normally maintain the valve element 7% in a retracted open position with respect to the valve seat 69.

The valve casing 65 has a bypass passage 36 which connects wtih the passage 66, around the valve seat 69. The bypass passage 86 has a valve seat 87. A manually adjustable valve 3 5 is threadedly mounted in the valve casing 65 and is adapted to be manually adjusted for varying the amount of air which can pass through the bypass passage 56. One end of a conduit $9 is connected to the valve casing 65 and communicates with an end of a passage 96 of said valve casing. The other end of the passage 96 communicates with the passage 66 between its inlet end and the valve seat 69.

The other. end of the conduit 39 discharges into the bottom chamber of a diaphragm casing 91, below thediaphragm 92 thereof. The casing 91 is supported on the cabinet bottom 28 beneath a part of the support member 26. A post or stem 93 extends upwardly from the upper side of the diaphragm 92 through a guide boss 94 in the top of the diaphragm casing, in which said post is slidably mounted and guided. The upper end of the post 93 extends through an opening 95 in the member 26 and bears against the underside of a plate 96, which is secured to the upper side of the member 26 over said opening 95. Accordingly, when the lever 82 is manually actuated, as previously described, to partially close the valve 70, pressure will be built up in the passage 66, between the conduit 67 and Valve seat 69, assuming that the air compressor 60 is operating, and a part of this compressed air will pass through the passage 99 and conduit 89 to the lower part of the diaphragm casing 91 for distending the diaphragm 92 upwardly. This will cause the post 93 to be displaced upwardly to elevate the support 25 and the parts mounted thereon, including the grinding wheels 41 and 42 which will be elevated toward the deck or platform 15.

.When utilizing the machine 16, the user, wearing roller skates, grasps the handrails 59. and steps up onto the deck 15 with the skate of the right foot positioned to be supported by the rails 22, 2-3 of the opening 18 and the skate of the left foot similarly supported by the rails 22, 23 of the opening I). The rear skate wheel axles rest upon the rail portions 22 and the front skate wheel axles rest upon the rail portions 23, with the skate wheels straddling said rail portions and with sufiicient clearance relative thereto and to the portions of the deck 15, surrounding the openings 13 and 19, to allow the skate wheels to revolve freely. As best illustrated in FIGURE 8, the rear axle 97 of a roller skate 98' is shown engaging in transversely aligned notches 24 of two of the rails 22 to hold the skate 98 against lengthwise movement within the opening 18 or 19. Consequently, the two skates 98 will be held immovably positioned by the weight of the skater, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 illustrates an electric circuit 99 in which is interposed the two electric motors 43 and 54, as well as 10f urging the lever 73 to swing away 7 a) an electric switch 100. When the switch 100 is closed to energize both motors and the hand lever 82 is manually operated for supplying compressed air to the diaphragm casing 91, the support member 25 will be displaced upwardly from its positions of FIGURES 2 and 3 until the flat horizontally disposed top surfaces of the grinding wheels 41 and 42 simultaneously contact the four wheels 101 of each of the two skates 98, as seen in FIGURE 8. As the skate wheels 101 are free to revolve, said wheels will be revolved by contact with the upper surfaces of the two grinding wheels and as the skate wheels 101 revolve about horizontal axes whereas the grinding wheels revolve about vertical axes and since the skate wheels are all spaced radially from the axes of rotation of the grinding wheels, the upper surfaces of the grinding wheels will move transversely relative to the peripheries of the skate wheels for grinding the peripheries of the skate wheels as said wheels turn, to remove wax and other foreign matter therefrom as well as high spots on the skate wheels, and to return the skate wheel peripheries to correct round shapes. The pressure exerted by the grinding wheels on the skate wheels can be varied at the will of the user of the machine depending upon the pressure applied to the hand lever 82, which varies the extent that the valve element 70 is closed and the amount of compressed air which is supplied to the diaphragm casing.

During the grinding operation the blower 53 is driven by the motor 54 for creating a suction in the nozzle 48 so that the dust and other materials ground from the skate wheels 101 will be drawn into the suction nozzle 48 through the opening 50 thereof and through the conduit 52 and blower 53 and said material will be discharged from the blower into the porous collecting bag 57.

The machine is well adapted to be coin operated and the downwardly and forwardly inclined top wall 102 of the cabinet part 13 is preferably provided at one end thereof with a conventional coin slide 103 into which a coin, not shown, of a proper denomination can be inserted to drop through the top wall 102 by manipulation of the coin slide 103. The cabinet portion 13 has a side wall 104, at the side thereof adjacent which the coin slide 103 is located and which is hingedly connected by a hinge 105 at its back edge to the rear wall 56, as seen in FIGURES 3 and 4. A lock 106 is provided for securing the door 104 in a closed position. A switch casing 107 is mounted on the inner side of the wall panel or door 104 and contains the switch 100. The switch 100 may be of a conventional timer-type capable of being closed by a coin striking the switch and which will remain closed for a predetermined time interval. The lower end of a funnel 108 opens into the top of the switch housing 107 and the enlarged open upper end of said funnel is disposed directly beneath the coin slide 103, when the door 104 is in a closed position, for receiving a coin released through said coin slide and for directing the coin into engagement with the switch 100. A collecting box 109 may be mounted on the inner side of the door 104 for receiving coins passing by gravity through the switch casing 107. Thus, upon deposit of a coin of a proper denomination the switch 100 will be closed and maintained closed for a predetermined time interval during which the motors 43 and 54 will be energized so that the skate grinding operation can be accomplished by manual manipulation of the hand lever 8 2, as heretofore described.

The cabinet portion 13 may be provided with a detachable panel 110 constituting the other side Wall thereof, so that the panel 110 and door 104 will afford adequate access to the mechanism contained in the cabinet 11. The front wall 17 may include a detachable panel secton 111 which may contain any suitable indicia such as an advertisement, and the top wall 102 may include a central panel section 112 wlr'ch may contain suitable indicia, not shown, constituting instructions for operation of the machine 10. The panels or wall sections 111 6 and 112 may be formed of transparent or translucent material and a light source, not shown, may be contained within the cabinet portion 13 and interposed in the electric circuit 99 for illuminating the panels 111 and 112 during operation of the machine 10.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 4, the openings 18 and 19 include restricted forward portions 18 and 19' which are disposed beyond the forward ends of the rails 23 for accommodating therein toe stops 113, as seen in FIGURE 2, so that skates equipped with such toe stops can be ground without removal of the toe stops from the skates.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A skate wheel grinding machine comprising a cabinet including a deck provided with openings, means immovably supported by said deck and adapted to simultaneously engage the skate wheel axles to support a roller skate irnmovably above each of the openings with the skate wheels thereof protruding through the opening and being free to rotate, a support member mounted within the cabinet, a pair of shafts journaled in said support member and disposed beneath and substantially parallel to the deck, grinding wheels fixed to the upper ends of said shafts and disposed for rotation therewith beneath the deck openings, said grinding wheels having substantially flat top surfaces disposed relative to said means to engage all of the wheels of the two skates simultaneously, and means connected to and driving the grinding wheels simultaneously.

2. A skate wheel grinding machine as in claim 1, means mounting said support member for reciprocating movement within the cabinet toward and away from said deck, an air pressure responsive extensible member mounted between the underside of a part of said support member and a bottom portion of the cabinet, and an air compressor connected to said means for driving the grinding wheels and supplying compressed air to said fluid pressure responsive extensible member for elevating the support member and grinding wheels to engage the grinding wheels with the skate wheels.

3. A skate wheel grinding machine as in claim 2, and means for manually controlling the amount of pressure supplied to said pressure responsive extensible member from the air compressor for varying the extent that the grinding wheels are elevated and the pressure exerted by the grinding wheels on the skate wheels.

4. A machine for simultaneously and uniformly grinding all of the skate wheels of a pair of skates without removal of the skates from the feet of the wearer, comprising a cabinet including a deck for supporting the user, said deck having means adapted to engage the skate wheel axles for supporting the skates immovably relative to the deck with the skate wheels disposed for free rotation, a pair of rotary driven grinding wheels disposed beneath said deck and substantially parallel thereto, means supporting and journaling said grinding wheels with the upper surfaces thereof in contact with the skate wheels, each of the grinding wheels simultaneously engaging all of the wheels of one of the skates, and the axis of rotation of each grinding wheel being disposed between the skate wheels engaged thereby whereby the skate wheels will be revolved by the grinding wheels and the grinding wheels will move relative to the skate wheels and across the skate wheel peripheries.

5. A skate wheel grinding machine as in claim 4, an electric motor connected to and driving the grinding wheels, an electric circuit for said motor, a timer switch for maintaining said circuit closed for a predetermined time interval, and coin deposit means for directing a deposited coin into engagement with said switch for moving the switch to a closed position.

6. A skate. wheel grinding machine as in claim 4, a fluid pressureresponsive hoist means contained within said cabinet for elevating said support and journal means and said grinding wheels, a motor for simultaneously driving said grinding wheels, and a pump driven by said motor and connected to said hoist for elevating the grinding wheels into engagement with the skate wheels when the grinding wheels are revolved.

7. A skate wheel grinding machine as in claim 6, and

.a manually contnolled valve interposed between the pump and hoi'stfor varying the pressure supplied to said hoist to vary the extent that the grinding wheels are elevated for varying-the pressure exerted by thegrinding wheels on :the skate wheels;

' 8. A skate wheel grinding machine as in claim 4, and a power-driven suction unit contained within said cabinet including a collecting receptacle and a suction nozzle, said suction nozzle being disposed to receive materials removed from the skate'wheels by the grinding wheels for delivery to said collecting receptacle.

9. A machine for simultaneously and uniformly grinding all of the wheels of a roller skate without removal or" the'skate from the foot of the wearer, comprising a supporting structure, means immovably fixed to said supporting structure adapted to simultaneously engage undersides of the skate wheel axles for supporting the skate immovable relative to the supporting structure with the skate wheels disposed for free rotation, a rotary driven grinding wheel disposed beneath said means, means supporting and journaling the grinding wheel with an upper surface thereof disposed in contact with all of the skate wheels and with the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel disposed between the skate wheels whereby the skate wheels are revolved by the grinding wheel and the grinding W eel moves relative to the skate wheels and across the skate wheel peripheries.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

